In pursuit of knowledge: comparing self-explanations, concepts, and procedures as pedagogical tools.
Explaining new ideas to oneself can promote learning and transfer, but questions remain about how to maximize the pedagogical value of self-explanations. This study investigated how type of instruction affected self-explanation quality and subsequent learning outcomes for second- through fifth-grade children learning to solve mathematical equivalence problems (e.g., 7 + 3 + 9 = 7 + _ ). Experiment 1 varied whether instruction was conceptual or procedural in nature (n=40), and Experiment 2 varied whether children were prompted to self-explain after conceptual instruction (n=48). Conceptual instruction led to higher quality explanations, greater conceptual knowledge, and similar procedural knowledge compared with procedural instruction. No effect was found for self-explanation prompts. Conceptual instruction can be more efficient than procedural instruction and may make self-explanation prompts unnecessary.
Matthews
Percival
P
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Peabody 422, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. percival.g.matthews@vanderbilt.edu
Rittle-Johnson
Bethany
B
D002648:Child; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014163:Transfer, Psychology